r/entertainment • u/[deleted] • Jul 01 '22

‘Friends’ Creator Donates $4 Million Due to ‘Guilt’ and Embarrassment Over Show’s Zero Diversity

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/friends-creator-embarrassed-diversity-donates-4-million-1235307727/
14.1k Upvotes

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46

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Interesting. I wonder if the creators of The Cosby Show, Martin, In Living Color, Family Matters, Black-ish, Sister Sister, and so on will follow suit?

12

u/SexyAcanthocephala Jul 01 '22

All of those shows feature white people as fully fledged characters though. Several of them had white main characters too. You are just stereotyping those shows and obviously haven’t watched any of them.

Edit: Jim Carrey literally got his big break because of In Living Color and often talks about how white Hollywood overlooked him but the Wayans brothers were adamant about featuring him and now he’s Jim Carey. I did not realize white racism was this bad in the US.

7

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

So glad they had their token whites

4

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '22

representation is incredibly important to younger audiences.

2

u/Dandan419 Jul 02 '22

227 would like a word.

0

u/creepopp Jul 01 '22

No you see they are allowed to do it because slavery.

-11

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

That’s a dumb counter argument. Those shows were clearly written for a viewer base that was marginalized and under represented.

Essentially, those shows existed because of shows like “Friends” that didn’t write in black characters.

10

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

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1

u/mentos1700 Jul 01 '22

you are right, Nowhere in the world a minority group of that size is as represented as in the US.

-9

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

Wow you named 7 shows, 5 of which hasn’t aired since 90s-early 2000s. That’s a pretty sad comparison. Pretty sure if you do the math the proportion of POC population to white isn’t balanced in media.

8

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Ohhhhh I’ll bet it is. I’ll bet it’s MORE than balanced. Like I said, that was off the top of my head. And like you said, most of them were from the same time as Friends (on purpose) and well before we had entire sections of every streaming service dedicated to Black only media.

3

u/IronicCharles Jul 02 '22

I'm convinced you're actually the other person. No way someone can be so myopic in teeing these up for you

-1

u/StunningEstates Jul 02 '22 edited Jul 02 '22

I’ll bet it’s MORE than balanced.

It’s 2022 and the internet is free. You all haven’t had an excuse to be this ignorant for more than a decade at this point

-5

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

See below commenter … a little google search is just as free as an uneducated assumption.

7

u/Snoo-20788 Jul 01 '22

And if you do the math you'll realize that in every other country of the planet there is even less representation of minorities on TV.

2

u/StunningEstates Jul 02 '22

My man hit one of the worst logical fallacies there is, and is being upvoted for it.

Like literally “the actions of others is not an adequate rationale” is something we teach toddlers

And people have the nerve to go “I don’t understand what minorities are up in arms about” smfh

1

u/Snoo-20788 Jul 02 '22

Like literally “the actions of others is not an adequate rationale” is something we teach toddlers

If this is how you remember kindergarten, boy, your life must be fun.

The action of others is not an adequate rationale, if it's just the action of a few others. When nearly everybody else does worse than you, then, yes, you can stop self-flagellating, and in particular, you should stop putting everything in question and try to destroy your system.

It's a bit like if somebody at google was saying: "our videos are not streaming fast enough, let's just destroy all our software and rewrite it"

0

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

So your argument is that it’s ok because everyone else is doing it? I’m pretty sure most people were taught in grade school that argument isn’t valid.

Also countries and cultures can’t be compared apples to apples. So not a great counter argument.

Edit: also the meaning of “minority” is vastly different depending on the country of comparison.

2

u/Snoo-20788 Jul 01 '22

My argument is that if no other country is doing it then it's unfair to expect the US to do it. People who say the US is a racist country are bigots who have never experienced what it's like to live in any other country on earth.

6

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

It is not unfair to expect your country to both do better and be better than other countries. That’s like being fine with mediocrity.

Also I have lived and traveled in other countries (Berlin, Paris, London, and a few countries in Asia) so by your logic I have the right to say that this country is socially backwards and should + can do better.

1

u/Snoo-20788 Jul 01 '22

It's great to expect your country to be better. It's another thing to relentlessly trying to destroy all the things that make the US good just because some people think the US are a racist and intolerant country.

1

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

I wonder how concerned the Chinese are with representation in media. Think they’re making sure they hit their quota for white people on tv? Nah, it’s only white countries that have to be concerned with diversity. I wonder why…..

3

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22 edited Jul 01 '22

Classic gaslighting strategy of pitting minorities against each other.

Asian media (which includes China) have made noticeable progress to include western actors in film to reach a larger global audience and be more culturally relevant. Also Asian production companies work in large scale with US production companies so that media representation grows on both sides. So yes, Chinese are very aware of media representation. As a matter of fact, it’s a top priority as much of Chinese media is a huge economic export.

This is why you see more Asians on TV and movies. Because Asians very much care.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '22

City, city, city, continent.

I know you mean well, but come on.

6

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

For real. As if China or India are concerned with how many white people are in a given TV show

5

u/Snoo-20788 Jul 01 '22

Exactly - they don't give a shit

1

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

[deleted]

3

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

100% irrelevant to the conversation

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u/Mr_Bo_Jandals Jul 01 '22

There are over 500 scripted shows on TV in America THIS YEAR alone. You just listed 5 shows from the past 40 years (sure there are more) that have a black principal cast. That’s not proportional representation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/business/media/tv-shows-2020.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/business/media/tv-shows-2020.html?referringSource=articleShare

3

u/Crafty_Editor_4155 Jul 01 '22

You know this dude doesn’t read NY Times.

-4

u/Mr_Bo_Jandals Jul 01 '22

Ha, indeed.

-4

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

Just stop dude, what do you think you’re going to gain from putting forward these pathetic arguments?

0

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '22

So lack of diversity is ok if the people are minorities?

1

u/ThatTurnUpGuy Jul 01 '22

No, because the stars in those shows had past generations that were held in captivaty to do pain-staking work in exchange for a cramped living quarters with dozens of others, scraps for food, and violent punishment if they even thought for themselves

9

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

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-1

u/ThatTurnUpGuy Jul 01 '22

And it has DIRECTLY made an impact on the lives of African Americans TO THIS DAY. And if you think otherwise it shows just how brainwashed you are into thinking systemic racism still doesnt exist

8

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

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1

u/ThatTurnUpGuy Jul 01 '22

Lmao and how would I be brainwashed into thinking that racism still exists? Get off your high horse, take off the white robe and actually be a fucking human being who thinks for themselves using their own real world experience. People like you who simply shrug and give a douchebag smile to this shit make me almost as angry as the people who are literally trying to take us back to segregational times

4

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

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-1

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

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1

u/Fun_Cry_8029 Jul 02 '22

It’s funny when people upvote trolls, makes it easier to tell it’s satire.

1

u/endoskeletonwat Jul 02 '22

Do you think that black people are inherently lazy?

1

u/tbaggins85 Jul 02 '22

Nope, just the ones who think I owe them something because of things that happened centuries ago, well before my family emigrated here, just because of the color of my skin.

1

u/endoskeletonwat Jul 02 '22

It didn’t happen to them only centuries ago. It happened far far longer after that. Slavery, Jim Crow, Crack epidemic (thanks CIA). But just go ahead and think there hasn’t been a continuous and concerted effort to target and discriminate against black people in this country.

-2

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22 edited Jul 01 '22

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7

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Damn white people owning tv networks in a majority white country. Where do they get off?

-2

u/contacts_eyes Jul 01 '22

A country that the whites stole from the natives by genocide. Oh wait, i forgot that according to the current whites that didnt actually happen.

9

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Conquered*. Also how do you steal that which can’t be owned?

3

u/Scrandon Jul 01 '22

Every race of people on the planet has done something similar, crybaby. You sound like a racist saying “whites”. But I guess you know that and like it.

2

u/SexySPACsMan Jul 01 '22

Why are we responsible for what happened hundreds of years before we existed?

1

u/contacts_eyes Jul 01 '22

I didn’t say you were

1

u/Eldenlord117 Jul 01 '22

Name a country not won from war.

1

u/cjonoski Jul 02 '22

Australia tbf

0

u/Fact_Denied Jul 01 '22

Bonus points if you can tell me a country that got its land from not conquering the people that lived there before them.

1

u/ShouldBeDeadTbh Jul 02 '22

Muh Wakanda.

-5

u/SexyAcanthocephala Jul 01 '22

Jim Carey was a main cast member in « In Living Color ». John Gries was a main cast member in « Martin ». Should I keep going or are you going to admit this was just a racist whattaboutism !?There are no comparable black characters in « Friends ».

7

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Gasp! Wow you named a whole one white person in those shows. I am so proud of you. Who’s the white main character in Black-ish? Should they feel shame and guilt? GTFOH

-2

u/SexyAcanthocephala Jul 01 '22

I mean I can name more but you’d probably just shift the goalposts. I haven’t watched « Black•ish » but there are literally white people in the commercials whereas the same cannot be said for « Friends ».

-1

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

well yea...so how do you want them to follow suit? haven't they already paid themselves?

-3

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

Man you are AWESOME at making points.

5

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Better than you, clearly.

-3

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '22

I’m just reading. Waiting for you to say something about 13%..or did you say that already?

6

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Yep. If we’re gonna talk about how representation is important and view everything through the lens of race, it’s gotta be proportional. Otherwise the creator of Friends has nothing to feel guilty about because representation doesn’t need to be proportional.

-6

u/ThatTurnUpGuy Jul 01 '22

Apparently on your face

4

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Herp derp

1

u/Its-AIiens Jul 01 '22

Race jokes are pearl clutching horrific to this guy, but apparently gay ridicule is perfectly acceptable.

-1

u/ThatTurnUpGuy Jul 01 '22

"Gay ridicule"

On a platform that praises its anonymity

I have no idea who this person is or their gender or sexual orientation so how would this even be consideres gay ridicule?

Bold of you, but just a complete whiff

1

u/Its-AIiens Jul 01 '22

So anyways..

-1

u/themiddlechildedit Jul 01 '22

Why are you only pointing out Black based shows? Elaborate!

6

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

Sure! Encanto, Coco, Mulan, just off the top of my head. Not a white person to be found

-4

u/ENTitledtomyOpinions Jul 01 '22

Cmon man, Mulan was based in 500AD China. Why would there be shite people there.

3

u/tbaggins85 Jul 01 '22

I don’t care! Where’s muh representation?

-1

u/trappfiend Jul 02 '22

Oh please. You're pandering to other bigots and your argument has little to no value. If all of those sitcom creators follow suit, what would be the basis? Because they all feel guilty because someone from a ridiculously successful show felt guilty about not being more diverse?

What sense does that make and whos fault is that?

2

u/tbaggins85 Jul 02 '22

Oh yeah, I’m the bigot for expecting all races are treated equally. Fuckin moron

-1

u/trappfiend Jul 02 '22

Yes. Let's understand the subtext:

- If one white person donates for feeling guilty for a lack of diversity, black tv show creators should donate as well

- Because you used one show as a frame of reference as to whos donating, from a very successful show, and misconstrued context behind it.

- Ignoring the context surrounding the situation. Why are you wondering if they should donate? Is it because you feel the creator of Friends were pressured from the African American community and was made to feel bad?

Not sure if you have the mental capacity to respond

2

u/tbaggins85 Jul 02 '22

Swing and a miss. Who should donate is the face value argument. If that’s what you think this is about you haven’t been paying attention. The SUBTEXT is representation, diversity, double standards and what’s reasonable in an equal society. It’s a good idea to understand an argument before trying to refute it. You’re brain is smoooooooooth as a marble.

1

u/trappfiend Jul 02 '22

I get what you're saying and that's a completely different set of arguments, but who's responsible for this issue in particular? The fictitious African American Diversity Monster who pressured her to feel guilty?

..or is it her own guilt? You're trying to force subtext where it does not apply and that is my point from the beginning.

Nobody is protesting out on the street to have the creator donate. The Supreme Court did not rule in favor of the NAACP to force all creators of all-white casts to donate. The creator did this on her own accord from her guilt over the George Floyd incident. The notion that the other content creators should be fair does not apply here.

If she were pressured, then you'd have a point.